Serendipity: Muse of Hogwarts
by Exodus of Leviticus
Summary: Serendipity is returning to Hogwarts for her fifth year. After struggling with the death of her mother and her adoption into Englands high society, she returns to some shocking times. Will she make it through to her sixth year with Voldemort after her and
1. The Dream

Sera walked around the paths of Diagon Alley blindly. She felt lost, she hadn't been here in years. She couldn't even remember her last time here, only that she couldn't ave been more than a year old. Her short hair floated around her face like a blue aura. Her lips were black, her skin pale, her eyes icy and unforgiving.

She searched and searched, but couldn't find anyone or anything that looked remotely familiar. She didn't need a wand: she had her staff. She didn't need robes and a uniform: she had her old ones. She didn't need a posse to follow her around: she had her uncle.

As she walked around nonchalantly, she observed the hustle and bustle of ordinary wizarding life. Suddenly, music began blasting from te back pocket of her GAP long and leans. She flipped open her cell phone, the My Chemical Romance song stopped playing, and she saw a picture of a large black dog on her screen, "Hello, Uncle." She spoke into the phone. "Hello, Sera. Where are you?" "Diagon Alley. So, where am I supposed to meet Harry and his friends so I can buy my books?" "At the ice cream parlor." "Okay, thanks. And, Uncle, be careful, okay?" Her uncle mearly laughed and hung up. Sera kept walking, people staring at the icily beautiful girl with the black makeup and muggle appliances as she passed them by. One boy in particular stared, he had slick platinum hair and a perpetual sneer tat was now replaced with a dreamy look. "Draco, hurry up, I haven't got all day, you know." The boys father snapped at him.

"Sera!" She looked up, Harry was waving at her, calling her name. As she headed towards tem, her hair turned black, the icy blure thinning out into ghostly highlights. It grew longer until it reached just past her shoulders instead of her ears.

She saw teir eyes widen and their jaws drop. A light blush creeped its way across her face as she walked towards them. She sat down between Harry and a gir with perfect white teeth and bushy brown hair. The tall, freckled, red-headed boy across from her stared, his mouth open. Sera leaned across the table, placing a finger under is chin, hiw mouth snapped shut. "Don't you know its rude to stare?" She asked him, giggling. He blushed, his ears turning a crimson that clashed horribly with his red hair.


	2. Return to Hogwarts

**Authors Notes:okay, wootwoot. Well, the not-so-long-awaited second chapter to my Harry Potter fanfic. Ok, so. Disclaimer:as if, I really, wish, o well, whatver, duh! I do not own it, but owning Dan Radcliffe would be a dream come true……but, yadayada, same old junk, I don't own him. Sucks, don't it? Anyhoo, read and review, ma friends. And please! Constructively criticize, don't flame. If it's a marysue, im sorry, just state it don't go into why it is and why you hate marysues, otherwise, feel free to constructively criticize.**

The tall girl leaned over the counter in the small drug store at the train station, looking at the lighters. "Sorry, hun, but you can't buy those." The lady said. The girl nodded and then reached down to grab a couple packs of gum while dumping the contents of her fist on the counter. "Hmm, going somewhere, hun?" The lady asked. "Yes. School. I just realized I forgot my favorite lip stick at home, and decided to buy it here." She flashed a smile, showing off her straight, clean teeth. She spoke with a French accent, her English somewhat slurred and halting. The lady behind the counter nodded, smiling. "I see. Well, that'll be ten euros, hun." The girl, still smiling absently, handed the required amount of money to the cashier, and then grabbed her bag and walked out of the store. The cashier watched her as she stepped onto one of the trains that would take her through the tunnel and into London. She shook her head, only realizing as the train left that the girl had been carrying no luggage with her. "How odd.." She mused to herself.

Sera sat back in the seats of the train. Preparing herself for the few hours she would be spending on the train, crossing the English Channel and then getting into London to meet her friends. She sighed, back to England and Hogwarts. It was going to be an interesting year indeed. She had spent only a week in England so far. The rest she had spent in France, getting acquainted with her new "father" one of the most influential men in muggle England, Colin Johanson, had adopted her as part of a favor for her deceased mother. Colin was also a powerful liaison between the wizard and muggle worlds. A powerful wizard and a powerful politician, he was now her adoptive father. This made her the subject of tabloids. She was in close with the royal family now, which meant that she was the subject of "love" questions. Which prince would American-born Sera Johanson fall for? Which prince would fall for her? It was annoying to say the least.

Sighing again, she closed her eyes. A picture formed in her mind, of a storm-eyed girl, with long red hair and olive colored skin. Her features began to shift, her hair changed color and grew out, and skin changed its tint. She grew taller, and a lot thinner. Her limbs extended till they were long, but graceful instead of all elbows and knees. A bell sounded. They had reached England; it was time to change trains. It was time to be the aristocrat's daughter.

Colin Johanson tapped his foot to the music playing softly through the headphones of his iPod. He took a leisurely drag from his cigarette as he waited for his daughter's train to arrive from the French side of the English Channel. Finally, the train pulled in with a gush of air. Colin shivered slightly in the damp air of the train station, pulling his Chanel wool overcoat tighter against his fit body. At thirty-five, he was well built and muscular for a politician, but that seemed only to add to his political popularity. He smiled wide as the doors of the train opened and a stream of people spilled forth. He searched for a tall girl with fire-hair and eyes the color of the channel itself. Suddenly, the stream of people flowed to a trickle and there she was. The last one off, she emerged. Tall, graceful, and emaciatingly thin, his adoptive daughter walked toward him. Her Dolce&Gabana jeans fit her perfectly and her black zip-up hooded sweatshirt was Ralph-Lauren. The shirt she wore underneath was her own, a reminder of the life she once had, a simple black camisole, no lace, no sequin appliqués, just plain, faded black stretch cotton. She was like a gorgeous, ghoulish apparition. The black eyeliner was Sephora's, and complemented her skin and eyes. An angel of death dressed all in black. Black Minolo Blahnik boots, black D&G jeans, black cami, black RL hoodie, Colin thought. She's beautiful.

Seeing her father, Sera smiled and waved, speeding up her steps. "Hey!" She said, smiling. Her eyes darted behind her father, and she frowned. "Come on," She said quietly. "lets get out of here, the paparazzi have just arrived." She spoke with an American accent, very different from the one of the girl who had bought the gum and lipstick at the little shop in the train station back in France. Yet still, her and the girl were one and the same. Without another glance, the girl and the politician walked briskly towards the exit of the station. Flashbulbs went off, blinding Sera. "Ms. Johanson, tell me, are you really dating Prince William?" Sera smiled at the reporter, her smile giving nothing away, not saying anything, and continued walking, not stopping long enough for a picture to be snapped. They walked side-by-side up the stairs and out onto the street. There, a black limousine awaited them. Sera hurriedly opened the door and climbed in, her father after her. "So, what did you do in France, my dear?" Colin asked her. "Oh, shopped mostly. Had the queerest dream though. Anyway, yeah, I got my school robes, my books, some extra stuff. Updates for my computer, got it fixed so I can use it at school. Ya know, so the magic won't fry my hard drive. Got that done for my headphones too. And my phone, if you need to reach me quickly. Got me an owl. She's a gorgeous little thing. Great, black beauty, she is. Rare breed, a hybrid actually." Sera spewed out the details of her trip as they drove to King's Cross Station in London to catch her train to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Colin took it all in as it came, but his mind lingered on one particular thing that Sera had said. "So," He said when it was all over. "Tell me about this queer dream you had, Serendipity." He used her full name this time. He loved to torture her. She grinned as she punched him lightly in the arm. "Oh, come now, father dear, you know I hate it when you use my full name. 'Serendipity' is such a mouthful; it's so much easier to just stick with 'Sera'. So please do. Anyway, yeah, my dream. Well, it went like this. I was walking down a place called Diagon Alley, and my phone rang. I picked it up and it was my uncle! He asked where I was and I told him. Said I was getting my school books. Well, when I hung up, someone was waving and calling my name. It was Harry. They were sitting at a little table outside an ice cream shop. Harry was there with two of his friends, a girl named Hermione and a boy named Ron. Ron kept staring at me, but, you see, it was funny. I introduced myself as Serendipity Black, not Johanson. It was weird, I definitely have to talk to Harry about it. But, wasn't that just the queerest thing you've ever heard of?" With that, she laughed, and Colin did too. For the next hour, they talked and laughed, Colin telling his new daughter about the fun she'd have at Hogwarts in her fifth year, which was where he had gone for school.

Colin ruffled the flaming locks of his adoptive daughter as he hugged her goodbye on the platform next to the train that would take her to school. He looked into her stormy green eyes and laughed then kissed her cheeks. "Goodbye Serendipity, enjoy your year at Hogwarts, but don't forget, you'll need to come home for at least a couple days during Christmas so you can go to the ball at the palace. I'll write you with the exact dates soon enough. And Easter too, but I've talked to Dumbledore and he has no problem with it." With a final hug, he released his daughter and gave her a little shove towards the train, her luggage following her magically; her pet iguana perched on her shoulder and her owl asleep in its cage.

With a final look back, Sera boarded the train and headed for the back. In the last car she reached her destination. It was empty and was likely to remain so for the entire trip. Sighing happily she settled her things at the back of the car and opened the door of her owl's cage so she could fly around when she woke up. Taking a seat, she removed her pet iguana from her shoulder. "Hello there, Sirius, how are you?" The iguana looked at her with a sarcastic expression as it answered. "Fine, how are you, Sera? You look like your doing great, nice and happy. I, on the other hand, am hungry and thirsty. You wouldn't have anything to eat, would you?" Sera laughed as she pointed to the air in front of her and a little platform appeared. With her finger, she steered the platform out into the aisle where there would be more space. Picking up Sirius, she placed him on the platform. Winking at him, she watched as a bowl of fruit and a dish of cream appeared in front of the sarcastic iguana. "You know you could have gotten yourself food at any time, you just enjoy being a dramatic masochist. Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about, I know that you starve yourself just to complain, you little weirdo.." Her sentence trailed off when she saw someone else was in the car. "Oh..um, hi." She stuttered. "Hey, Sera. Um, were you just talking to that iguana? And is it.._floating_?" Sera smiled, regaining her composure. "Hey, Harry! Yes, I was talking to Sirius, and yes, he is eating off of a floating platform." Harry's eyes widened at the name she had given her masochistic iguana. "Did you call it Sirius?" He said, a sad, angry look in his eyes. Just as she was about to answer, a girl with bushy brown hair and a tall gangly boy with shocking red hair similar to her own burst through the door. She gasped when she recognized them as the people from her dream. "What about Sirius, Harry?" The girl asked, looking back and forth between the girl, the boy, and the floating iguana shoving its face full of fruit and cream. "Um, yes, Harry. I did name him after Sirius. Uncle was the one who gave him to me, so, well, when I found out he was…cooped up and on the run again..it only felt natural." She watched as a shadow fell over her cousin's face and rushed to his side. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you think about it, its just, oh don't act like you're the only one whose lost something they always dreamed of!" She was angry now, all summer Harry had been acting sullen and depressed when ever Sirius was brought up. "He's my _uncle_, okay? He's my last shred of family! At least you have your aunt and uncle! And I know they care about you, so don't try and tell me they don't! Your cousin might not, but your aunt does, okay! She loved her sister, for all her jealousy, they were still sisters! God, Harry, he means something to me too!" And with that, she slapped him. Shocked, Hermione and Ron stared on as Harry lifted a hand to his burning face and looked up at Sera. For a second, she thought he was going to hit her back, but then he broke. He took a seat and looked up at her. "You still consider me your cousin, right?" He asked her quietly. She nodded, still angry with him for acting so selfish, and then turned to the spectators. "You." She said, pointing at Hermione. "Your name is Hermione Granger, right? And you're Ron Weasley?" Her gaze shifted to her fellow red head. Hermione gasped, and stuttered, looking at Sera and Harry. Ron merely looked at the ground, scuffing his feet as his ears burned a shade of crimson that clashed horrible with his hair. It was then that Harry stood and formally introduced them. "'Mione, my cousin Serendipity Johanson. Sera, my friend 'Mione. Ron, Sera, Sera, Ron." Hermione was still confused as she shook hands with Sera, and Ron blushed even harder as he shook Sera's hand. Out of the corner of her eye, Sera watched as Hermione's eyes flashed jealousy at seeing Ron blush over her. Shocked, she turned to 'Mione and explained about the dream, leaving out the part about the phone call from her uncle Sirius. "So that's how you knew who we were." Hermione said finally. "And Sirius was your uncle? Interesting. But wait, why did you say your last name was Black when it's Johanson?"

Sera thought, but couldn't come up with and answer. "I don't know. It confused me too. But well, it was only a few weeks after I was adopted and changed my name, so, that might have been why. I was probably still getting used to the change." Hermione looked like she was going to ask another question, but Sera quickly changed the subject, not in the mood to be interrogated. "So, Harry, you'd taken in interest in my little pet there?" She said, pointing to Sirius, who had finished eating and was lapping up the rest of the cream. He looked first at Harry, then at his human. "Yes, I believe I know him. I think your uncle was hiding me away with him before he gave me to you and showed me to Harry. I don't know, I was still only a week old then, so I can't remember much. Oh, I think I'm through being a masochist. This business of hurting myself is getting annoying, and I was really doing it just to scare Colin." He then smiled an iguana smile and continued with the cream, leaving everyone staring at him and Sera, who was stroking his back ridge absentmindedly. "Hmm, I think Sirius did introduce me to your little guy there.." Harry said, his normal self again. Sera smiled then, knowing that the rest of the trip was going to be a lot of fun.

Sitting back contentedly, she looked at Hermione, who was looking at her with a knowing gleam in her eye. "In case you're wondering, Hermione, my dream wasn't where I know you from. I don't know if you've noticed me before, but I go to Hogwarts as well. I've been going since you have. I'm in Gryffindor, too. I've been pretty under the radar though, at least, I've been trying too, ya know. Ever since the world found out about my relation to Sirius Black. It was annoying; I totally know how Harry feels now. What with last year and everything." She smiled. Looking over at Harry, she gave him a small nod. "We were introduced before out second year, and I know the Weasleys very well. Right Ron?" Her gaze settled on Ron, who blushed horribly. "Y-yeah." He stuttered out. "You've b-been down to, to the Burrow a couple times." Hermione glared at Sera, who gave her a shocked look, not knowing what she had done. "Really? Oh, now I remember, we met your mother! She was very nice, you two looked a lot alike. How is-" But Hermione never finished. At that moment, Ron's older brothers burst into the room. Fred swept down towards Sera, his twin George following him. George sat next to Ron while Fred took a seat next to Sera. She looked up at him, and Fred's smile turned instantly into a worried frown. "What's up? Oh, did someone mention your mum?" He said knowingly. She nodded, then turned to Hermione. "My mum would've loved to here that you thought she was nice and that we looked alike. Though she, she always said I looked very much like, like my-father too." She said haltingly. Hermione looked confused, as did everyone except Harry and the Weasleys. "Wait. What do you mean.. would have?" She asked cautiously, her eyes on Sera. "Oh, that's right, I never told you…" Sera said slowly and quietly. Then whispered. "My mum's dead, 'Mione. Car crash, this summer…" Hermione gasped, then suddenly threw her arms around Sera. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Sera! I, I never knew!" She quickly removed her arms from around Sera, then buried her nose in a book. Sera however, turned to face Fred and buried her face in his shoulder. He hugged her somberly, whispering to her so that no one else could hear. Everyone stared at them for a minute, caught up in the fact that not only had Hermione made a rather large mistake in bringing up Sera's mother, but also in the fact that Sera and Fred seemed to be _very_ good friends.

Hermione turned to the girl sitting across from her. The girl had long dirty-blonde hair and was reading a magazine up-side down. "Luna, did you know..about.." She faltered. The girl looked up from her magazine. "No. But I should tell her..if she wants to talk, I know what its like." She said airily, then turned back to her magazine. Hermione looked at Harry this time. He nodded, looking uncomfortably between Luna, Sera, and Hermione. "Yeah, she wrote me, we're cousins, after all." He said, then continued, taking a deep breath. "I was there at the hospital, after the crash. It happened right outside St. Mungo's." Hermione gave him a shocked look, her eyes wide, before returning to her book. Harry sighed, then looked back at Sera, who was now getting up, whisper something to Fred, then turn to everyone else. "Um, we'll be at the station soon, so, I think we should all go change into our robes now." She looked at Hermione, Luna, and a girl with long red hair who bore an uncanny resemblance to Fred. "Come on girls, we can go find another car to change in." As she passed the red haired girl to get her bags, the girl put a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, Ginny" Sera said to the girl. Then walked out of the car after Luna, Sirius on her shoulder once more.


	3. All In The Family

**Weeeeel, now! Sorry (for those that read this..) that it took me soooo long to update. I have written thisin a different format, so as to try and make it easier to read. Sepereating speaking parts and the like., hope it actually does something. leave your comments, and if you must flame, please email me okay?Or, well, do whatever ya want..ill reply to be sure though, if i can...so, anyhoo, read and review and enjoy, ma deahs!**

Once she'd changed into her robes and uniform, Sera sat down with a sigh. Sirius, from his perch above her, leaped down and sat on her shoulder, nuzzling his rough, scaly cheek against hers.

"Hi, Sirius." Sirius stared at her, his buggy eyes boring into her own. "Hello Sera. You know, you shouldn't let it get you down. And, don't blame Hermione, she didn't know." Sera turned, looking him head on. "I don't blame Hermione for anything. You're right, she didn't know, there's no possible way she could have. I just.."

Just then a whistle blew. They had arrived at the school. Sirius was hurriedly shoved into a little carrier as Sera wrapped herself in her cloak and followed Hermione and Ginny out of the car and off of the train. They met up with the boys outside as they filed for the carriages. As she hurried along in the rush, she became separated from the others, but it didn't bother her at all. She just absent mindedly went with the flow, thinking on everything that had happened on the train. Her mother, her father, her uncle, everything was way to confusing.

She halted suddenly. Someone had grabbed her arm. Someone strong, with large, but slender pale hands and manicured nails. Out of nowhere, a pale silver-blonde head appeared out of nowhere next to Sera.

"Draco?" She whispered, still in a daze. The boy smiled thinly. Underneath his cloak and his robes she could see a green and silver tie, the colors of Slytherin house. "Hello, Sera. Come on. Here's a carriage. You shouldn't wander off and loose your head, stupid." He chided her, but gently. Draco was a boy she had grown up with.

A friend of sorts.

He picked her up, his strong, lithe arms encircling her waist and placing her inside the carriage next to a boy with mousy hair and an excited look. As she plopped down next to him, a surprised look on her face. The boy turned to her in greeting.

"Hey. Sera, right?"

He asked her, his small frame seemed to vibrate continuously as he hopped in place. Around his neck was a camera and next to him was another small boy who looked very much like him. She nodded, confused. She was about to ask him his name and how he knew her when Draco slid in next to her, and the boy's excitement drained away slowly. Instead was a look of fear.

"What do you want, brat?" Draco sneered, turning away and looking out of the window. Sera, regaining her composure, elbowed Draco roughly in the ribs. "Draco! Don't be so mean!" With that, she turned to the boys. "Hi, yes, I'm Sera. But, do I know you tow? I'm sorry.." Her voice ended miserably, revealing how shaken she really was by the days unfolding events. "I'm Colin Creevey, and this is my brother Dennis!"

As he spoke, the color came back into their faces and the bounce back into their bodies. Their incessant bouncing however, caused the carriage to sway more then it usually would have as it bumped its way up the hill to Hogwarts. Sera, slightly disconcerted by the stares of the Creevey brothers, turned hr attention back to her childhood friend.

"So, Draco. How have you been? We haven't spoken in forever, I swear!" He smiled thinly at her, avoiding his eyes. "I've been well, been better, but well." Sera, determined to get something out of the boy she used to be so close with, continued her questions. "And how is my dear cousin?" "My mother, you mean? She is alright."

But just as Sera was about to voice another question, The carriage trundled to a halt, the doors popped open, and she once again found herself in the air, her waist encased in Draco's strong hands. When her feet touched solid ground again, her waist was freed, and her hand ensnared as she was pulled through the crowd.

"Seriously, Sera, you need to learn to take care of yourself." Draco muttered. "Oh, really? I do? Well you know, if you let me go for a second you would find that I am a perfectly capable young woman, thank-you very-much."

She finished in a rush as he hauled her up the steps to the front entrance, where students were pouring into the school. Suddenly, Sera found herself falling forward.

"Draco – oh!" He caught her in the nick of time. "Really, you can take care of yourself?" Draco asked her with a tiny but genuine smile.

Indignant, Sera wrenched her hand free of her friend's, and rushed after the retreating forms of Harry, Hermione, Luna and the Weasleys. Upon catching up with them, she wormed her way through the throngs of people till she broke free and made a bee-line for the Gryffindor table. As she took a seat, the rest of her friends reached the table and did the same. Lost in thought, Sera ignored them, not even knowing they were there until Harry prodded her viciously with his wand.

"Hey! Where were you? When we got out, we lost you. And, where's Sirius?" Sera, her thoughts interrupted gave him a confused glance. "Sorry, I only caught the last of what you said. Sirius is right here by the by," She pointed to her shoulder where Sirius was perched, as always. She stared pointedly at Harry, waiting for him to repeat what he'd said. "Oh, yes. I was, um, meeting up with old friends." She told him, not wanting to tell him the whole story due to his hatred of Draco.

Although, it wasn't far from the truth.

Harry, puzzled by Sera's state of uneasiness and dazed expression, decided that she was better left alone, and allowed himself to be caught up in the sorting. When the food finally arrived and the new Gryffindors had been assimilated into the seething mass that was the student body, Sera indulged herself and Sirius. Having barely eaten that summer since the death of her mother and her entrance into England's high society, she suddenly found herself ravenous. As dessert was digesting, her ears perked when the food disappeared and the students began to quiet down. It was time for Dumbledore's speech.

"Mhm. Thank you." He started simply, as the whole of the great hall went silent. "Now, as we enter this year, we enter it with the knowledge that something horrible happened last year and that starting again will be very difficult. As I speak, I speak of Cedric Diggory, who was murdered at the end of last year. As you go about your days, I wish you to remember Cedric, and how he acted. Kind to all, diligent in his school work, and always working to better the community of our school." He paused to drink from a goblet in front of him, ten continued, his voice growing stronger as he went. "As you quarrel amongst yourselves and as you doubt the actions of certain people in this world, I want you to remember Cedric, who was a man who trusted all and cared for all equally. This is the attitude I wish to be possessed by all of you. I wish for you to band together and aid and give strength to each other. I wish for us to be a school united in friendship and a common cause. This common cause is the fight against evil and killing and hate. I fear that we will face many trials this up and coming year, but I do not fear that we cannot come through it together, still standing strong and united. For divided and quarreling amongst ourselves, we will only be giving into that other side of ourselves. That side of ourselves that persists in doing wrong, and treating others with unkindness and unfairness. And thus, we shall fall. But, if we stay together, if we respect each other and care for all equally and kindly, we can pull through these most difficult times together and remain unscathed."

Dumbledore paused again to take a sip from that same goblet filled with something, and then continued, his throat wet and ready to work it's magic of speech.

"Now, on a lighter note, I present our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Ms. Dolores Umbridge."

There was a spattering of applause, and Sera could've sworn she heard Harry gasp in surprise with a whiff of anger before the said teacher arose, and cleared her throat with a tiny cough. It was then that Sera settled in for what would be one of the most boring and unnecessary sermons she would ever hear in her entire life.

"Hello!" Professor Umbridge said.

Her voice made Sera cringe. It was sickeningly sweet and high-pitched; akin to that of a little girl. A little girl who like to pop the heads off of her dolls and ripped teddy bears to shreds with the collection of poisoned knives she kept under her little princess bed. While she wore frilly dresses and ate cookies and held tea parties with past heinous creations. She cringed again as the professor cleared her throat (unnecessarily) twice more before continuing.

"I am sure we will come to be good friends throughout this year, and it does me good to see your smiling faces."

_ Ironic,_ Sera thought, stroking Sirius as he slept on her shoulder, fully gorged on the good fare of Hogwarts. _No one is smiling. And I wouldn't go near her armed with a magical, highly potent nuclear bomb. And from the looks on everyone else's faces, I'm guessing they wouldn't either._ But Sera's thoughts were interrupted once again as the horrible voice of Professor Umbridge (who seemed to bare and uncanny resemblance to a toad with a fly on its head) broke through and rattled around her skull. _Eugh. That bow she is wearing is truly just horrid. How can people stand her? Then again, they probably don't._

(A half-hour later)

Sera sat in a chair by the dying embers of the fire in the common room of Gryffindor House. Sirius was again asleep in her lap and Harry , Hermione, and the Weasleys were seated near her. They were talking. Discussing the events of last year, this summer, and what might possibly be coming in this year to make Dumbledore give such a haunting, cautionary speech.

"By the way Sera. How do you know Fred and George and Ginny so well?" Harry asked her, peering curiously at her, even though she was half-hidden in shadows.

"Oh. Well, Ginny is the only female cousin I have who is anywhere near my age, and I guess I just spent more time with the twins then I did Ron and the rest of them. They were like my older brothers." She smiled, that much Harry could make out. "Besides, I haven't been to the Burrow in years. I mostly saw them only at school and in Diagon Alley. I don't think Ron remembered much of me. We were very young last time I was at the Burrow. 'Sides, I spent my summers in America, with my mother. Until we moved here this summer. We were coming to live in the old Black house. Mum inherited it by marriage, and me and her were the only one's who could talk around Grandmother. Still are. Or rather, I am. Anyway, I don't know. I wrote them, and I saw them here, Ginny too. The only other female cousins I have are all on the um, darker, so to speak, side of the family. There's my cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa, and then various other people, before you move onto Molly and Ginny. But that's about it really, besides cousins' wives, and that's just plain confusing!" Sera gave a small laugh before lapsing into silence again.

"Wait!" Harry said, suddenly sitting bolt-upright in his chair. "Bellatrix Lestrange? And Narcissa Malfoy?" He asked her. He had, by now, given up on trying to see her face and instead watched her shadow. She nodded, silent. "You're related to the Malfoys?" He asked incredulous. He was now standing, having forsaken his chair in his anger. Histemper always rose when mention of the Malfoy family came around. And what about what Bellatrix Lestrange had done? He couldn't believe it. "Actually, yes. And I know what Bella did. And believe me, I am not proud of what my family is known for, but still. They are all I have if something happens to Sirius. And besides. I like Draco and Narcissa. They were always nice to me, always welcomed me to their home. Cissy and mum were good friends, you know." Seeing the expressions that everyone wore made Sera smile somewhat. "Yes, Lilly and Cissy were my mother's best friends. And I know that Cissy would never have joined the Death Eaters if it weren't for Lucious. And besides, it was Draco I was talking to earlier this evening. I met up with him when I lost you guys in the crowd. He helped me out. He was there when I woke up in the hospital, as was Cissy. Both of them were there, and both of them were crying at the loss of my mother. They care about us. And I care about them. They are family, I love them. And I consider Draco one of my best friends."

And with that, Sera arose and walked up the stairs to her bedroom, pointedly ignoring Harry and everyone else, as they wore looks of hatred and disgust.


End file.
